Fact Checking Organizations and Websites
- Media Bias Fact CheckMedia Bias Fact Check offers fact checking and media bias reports for over 4,200 media sources and journalists.
- NPR Fact CheckerNPR (National Public Radio) is a nonprofit media organization dedicated to unbiased news reporting. NPR fact checks major news stories and public personalities and reporting.
- SnopesSnopes is arguably the best known website for fact checking. It provides detailed information about the truth of news stories, and shared media of all sorts. Users can submit items to be fact checked by Snopes.
- Washington Post Fact CheckerThe award winning column in the Washington Post whose team fact checks all sources of media and information.
The SIFT Method
The SIFT Method is a four step strategy for evaluating information for credibility. It was developed by Mike Cauffield. It works like this:
- STOP! Are you familiar with the source you have found? If you aren't familiar with the source or how reliable it is, proceed to step two.
- Investigate the source. Take a quick minute and look up this source on Wikipedia. Who are they? What is their possible bias or interest in the topic?
- Find better coverage. Look up the information on sites you know are reliable. Use fact checking tools and sites to check the reputation of various sources and build a network of sites whose credibility is well-established that you can use to verify information.
- Trace the claims back to the original context. Including links, images, and video.
Mike Caulfield SIFT Tutorial Videos: S - STOP
This video explains why we need to be cautious about online resources and introduces the topic. Watch the first tutorial and then consider the first step. Before you share an article or a video online or use a source for your essay or project, STOP! Do I know this source? Do I know its reputation? Do I know whether this source is reliable or credible?
Investigate the Source
When you investigate the source, you need to go to outside sources to learn information about their reputation. Wikipedia is a great starting point to check the reputation of a source.
Mike Caulfield SIFT Tutorial Videos: F - Find the Original Source
The next step is to check the veracity of an article by finding the best sources for the topic. These are often the original or primary sources, but can also be more reputable news sources with a strong track record. You can use fact checking organizations to check on the reputation of sites for accuracy Use some of the sites provided on this page. As you research, keep a list of trusted sites whom you have verified. For images, you can do a reverse image search.
Mike Caulfield SIFT Tutorial Videos: T - Trace Claims, Quotes, and Media Back to the Original Context
To trace the claims of an article, make sure you click through links provided to be sure the original source says what the article claims. Look at the context. Was the information or media contained within the source accurately represented?